


run with me (because I can’t make it on my own)

by The_Emotional_MeteorShower



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Angst, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Coming Out, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Minor Aang/Katara, Past Sokka/Yue (Avatar), Protective Azula (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), Protective Toph Beifong, Running Away, Toph Beifong Swears, gran gran be hella supportive, hakoda tries his best, its currently 2 AM, no beta we die like jet, thank you toph, we stan toph in this house
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:21:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28127538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Emotional_MeteorShower/pseuds/The_Emotional_MeteorShower
Summary: Katara and Hakoda don't approve of Sokkas boyfriend.Ozai doesn't approve of anything Zuko does, especially not now.Their problems become to much to handle and they take offThey run fast, and they run far.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Hakoda & Zuko (Avatar), Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 150





	1. would you..?

It was late in the school day, when the gaang where hanging out in the field, trees surrounded the back side of the school, making everything seem more and more green. 

This school year seemed perfect, well as perfect as it can get. Zuko and Sokka where in their senior year, both having to go off to college soon. The two seventeen-year old laid in the grass together. While the rest of the gaang ran around like headless chickens.

They played tag together often, just sokka decide to object to the game, to keep the lonely senior, Zuko, company. Zuko was still fairly new to the group, toph and aang had given him their trust easily. They concluded he was harmless.

But katara, sokkas little sister who was just a grade below them, was a bit hesitant. Scratch that, still wasn’t very trusting of Zuko. 

She had seen him hanging out with a bad crowd, she just has the wrong idea. Thinking he was the same as some of the others he had fallen in with. Like her ex, jet. The Zuko she had painted in her mind was one made out to be the bad guy. And she was stubborn with changing her ideals.

So here Sokka and Zuko where. Laying in the green grass enjoying each other’s company. They bounced topics around casually. Sharing soft smiles with each other. 

Truth be told, they both liked one another. A lot. And they knew it, they knew they had feeling for the other, that where gladly reciprocated. 

It happened in the middle of the last school year. They had been tasked with a semester long project to do, and the heavens decided it was fate to pair the boys together. They began to warm up to each other quickly, and now they were happily together. 

But not another soul knew about it. The water tribe boy and the fire nation boy didn’t tell any others of their relation, they where always passed off as good friends. Sokka was honestly surprised on how none of the gaang had found out. But it was probably because everyone was to focus on aangs obvious crush on sokkas little sister, and how katara was ridiculously oblivious to it. Which was great for Zuko and sokkas sake.

So, they’re here now, just joking and generally being adorable together.

They went silent for a second, just staring up at the clouds passing over head. Sokka found it crazy that he was with his dream lover, having such a great time, he never wanted any of this to change, he honest to god felt like Zuko was the one. 

Suddenly he blurted out of nowhere, “what if we ran away?” he said it so casually that Zuko did a double take, checking if it was actually sokka talking to him. That wasn’t a very sokka thing to say. It was so out of the blue, so spontaneous. 

“are you sure?” was all Zuko said, they where so happy like this, together, with everyone. Nothing was wrong in the world, in their world. What would prompt sokka to run away. “why?” he questioned, rolling over, on his stomach so he could face sokka better. 

“I just…. I just don’t want anything to change, I don’t want us to have to change, I don’t want to go to college, I don’t want to have to come out, I don’t anyone to view us differently,” sokka confessed in a mumble. His arm held over his eyes, blocking the sun. his eyes shifted to Zuko’s. 

Zuko, looked sad with the realization that they would have to come out some time. Honestly. He wouldn’t throw out the idea of running away. Its an easy out to all of their fears. Imagine… running away from home, telling no one. Just getting up and leaving. He must have made a face, because the next thing he knows. Sokka playfully punched him in the arm, and his normal soft smile came back, “I’m just kidding.” He chuckled lovably. It was like music to Zuko’s ears.

It made Zuko perk up and smile along with him. But they both knew deep down that they would have both agreed at some point. Maybe not k=now but in the future. And that made Zuko’s stomach churn, something was bound to happen eventually.

The bell then rang, encouraging students to get to their class quickly. With that, sokka pushed up quickly, getting on his feet. He wiped off all the grass his uniform had collected on the back. He helps a handout for Zuko, helping him up as well. 

You don’t know how badly Zuko wanted to keep his lovers’ hand in his grasp, to intertwine their fingers, and walk together in front of everyone. And he doesn’t know, maybe kiss him. They stayed like that, a smile on their faces, their hands lingering on each other before pulling away. 

They both caught kataras suspicious glance, “its time to go, sokka, Zuko” she had said Zuko so harshly compared to how lovingly she had said her brother’s name.

Sokka threw a sympathetic look to the other before encouraging him to come with him into the building. 

And that’s the last they talked about running away together. Until now. Now it was the beginning of summer break, they where no long seniors, and both are now eighteen. 

Sokka was setting the table peacefully humming, he seemed to be so calm and collected. But in the inside, he was panicking. He and Zuko had planned on coming out to their families today. Sokka was way nervous about this. He honestly didn’t know how they would react to him being bisexual. They never mentioned the lgbtq+ community, nor did they insult it.  
Katara and their dad talked in the kitchen leaving sokka to practice coming out by himself. He pulled out a chair after setting the table, plopping down, his elbows resting on the table, supporting his head with his hand.  
He heaved a heavy sigh. And just then is when the other two decide to come out and place the food on the table.

They where halfway into the meal when sokka put his fork down, clearing throat, and effectively interrupting his sibling and dad. Katara turned to him with an annoyed but curious expression. Hadoka looked almost shocked. Sokka had been acting weird all dinner, he had barely made any comments or one-liners.

“Sokka, me and dad are talk- “katara started but couldn’t finish before she was cut off. “Well I have something important to say.”

Sokka didn’t seem like his normal cheery self, he had a serious no laughing matter face. That made his younger sister, shift in her seat, to face him. “Well?” She asked.

Both pair of eyes where on him, a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. His eyes shifted taking everything in, from his dinner to the empty seat where gran-gran usually sat. 

Gran-gran was out and couldn’t make it to dinner. Having her here would ease sokkas nerves since she already knew about Zuko and him. She would defiantly be supportive of him coming out, and have his back if things went south. 

But alas, she wasn’t, which made his stomach churn. “Sokka?” his dad said in a concerned tone.

Oh yeah, coming out. He had to, tonight. Zuko and sokka had promised each other they would tonight. But god, he knew Zuko wouldn’t blame him if he chickened out. He scolded himself for the thought. He had to do this. 

Sokka gulped, he inhaled a large amount of air, closed his eyes, the exhaled. It eased up his anxiety a little bit.  
Upon opening his eyes, he was met with two pairs of icy blue eyes. “I have, I have something really important to say.”  
His eyes looked everywhere but them until a sigh left through his parted lips. His eyes darted to both of theirs. “I’m,” he paused picking his words, “seeing someone.”

Katara seemed to light up at this and swallow her food quickly. “Oh- oh! Is, is it that girl?” katara looked to her dad and started explaining. “I always see sokka laughing and giggling when he talks to this girl, what’s her name…. SUKI! Its suki, right?” she turned back to her brother beaming. Like she had figured it out all on her own. His dad was about to congratulate him, before sokka interjected

“What? No, no, its not suki.” Katara visibly deflated. “Then who?”  
Sokka stomach physically pained him, anxiety bubbled up, almost slipping over. “Your, you’re not gonna be expecting this one,” he shook his head and chuckled nervously. She wasn’t gonna like it either.

He took a deep breath and put both hands on the table. “Katara, Dad, im, im dating Zuko.”  
Time seemed to freeze. It was like the only thing moving was the clock on the wall. He peeled him eyes from the table to his dad. His dad looked shocked. Probably from the fact sokka was dating a guy. Unless katara filled him in on all the juicy “details” about Zuko. Which most where just assumptions that weren’t even true.  
He turned to katara. She had the same shocked face. But it morphed and changed into, confusion. “That, couldn’t be right… right? You’re not actually DATING that jerkwad. Nice joke.” She seemed to accept her own answer and continue eating.

“Actually, I am. And sure, he’s awkward, and bad at socializing but he’s not that much of a jerk.” Sokka huffed.

“Sokka, you, you cant be serious! You CANT be dating him!”

“Why the hell not?” sokkas anxiety bubbled higher, the problem wasnt with his sexuality like he expected. Katara was genuinely against the thought of sokka dating Zuko.

“Sokka, language.” Was the only input hakoda gave.

The comment went unnoticed by the fighting siblings. Sokkas leg bounced, and he gripped the table cloth with white knuckles. 

“Sokka, you just can’t. That zuko kid is bad news, hes going to get you in trouble!”  
“In trouble?? How?! Hes literally the most awkward, affection starved kid ive ever met!”  
“SOKKA! Hes a fucking fire bender!!”  
Hakoda almost spit out his food, “A fire bender?!” This time not commenting on kataras use of language.  
“Oh!” Sokka stood up quickly, practically slamming his hands on the table. It rattled underneath him. “now you want to say something!”

“Sokka!” he scolded, then looked to his daughter, “sokka, katara has a point. Firebenders,, aren’t known to be the best.”

Sokka still not sitting down huffed in anger, “so your taking her side.”

Hakoda jumped in quickly, “sokka, no its not like that-“  
“No! no, its exactly like that, what else would it be? We both know shes your favorite.”

“I don’t have favorites.”

“oh yes, yes you do,” he cut in on his fathers words again. “ We know, we all know. How shes the perfect one, the straight As one, the caring one, the smart one, the gifted one,” tears pricked at sokkas eyes but he gave no room for the others to butt in. “ the straight one- You know if it was katara you probably wouldn’t have batted an eye.”

“Sokka you know that’s not true,” Katara tried but sokka didn’t let her.

“I do now? Actually, Katara,” he spit her name out harshly, “I don’t know. As far as I know you’ve always been the,, the,” he looked for the word in his frustration, “ The superior one! You can waterbend, your know what your doing with your life. How can you not be the favorite!”

Katara hesitated, before slumping down in her chair. “Sokka apologize to your sister!” 

“FOR WHAT?” he yelled, “ you know what, im done, im going to my room. “

“sokka no, we are gonna talk about this.”

“No im done talking. I know all your going to tell me is that dating zuko is wrong.”

With that sokka stomped his way upstairs.


	2. my body hurts, it hurts so much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> trigger warnings: panic attacks, accidental self harm

Sokkas heavy feet stomped upstairs, without much thought he didn’t look back to the others. All he could feel was the bubbling in his stomach and the gaining headache that percid his skull. His hands where sweaty as hell, and a hot feeling flooded his face. Not in the good way zuko made him feel. It made him feel icky, and sick. 

He wanted it all to stop, it frustrated Sokka so much. Giving up on stomping once he got up the stairs, he ran the short distance from the hall to his room. Once in, he slammed it shut behind him. (Something he hasn’t done since he was a kid.) 

He pressed his back to the door, sliding down slowly. The 18 year old huffed shallowly, his breaths feeling like they where getting caught in his throat. Air felt sticky like honey, he could feel it stick to the sides of his throat as he spiraled. Nothing felt safe anymore, the comfort of his room felt all wrong. His eyes shot open, and pain swept through his body.  
That’s when he realized he was on the verge of spiraling even further. Sokka tried to close his eyes and relax his body as much as he could. But the breathing, he couldn’t breath. He shook, his hands grabbed his arms and another wave of pain overcame him. 

This encouraged him to get back to reality, back in control. “o-okay,” he said through his heavy breathing. “Five t-things I can see.” His eyes looked around in a blur, barely catching sight of anything. “b-bed, floor, shoes, lamp. P-osters’” he swallowed his mouth dry and still hyperventilating. “f-f-four things I can touch,,,, my arms, carp-“ coughing interrupted him.” -pet, door.” his breathing slowed a bit but he didn’t stop. In fear of losing himself again. “ thr-thre- things I c-can hear.” He took a pause as his mind went blank and he stopped to listen. “Wind,,, myself, my phone.”   
“i-, I can smell, food, and- and, air?” a small giggle left his dry thought. Sounding very low, and hoarse. His breathing evened out thoroughly. But he was still shaking a bit. “I can, taste, saliva.”

It took a moment, but his shoulders slumped, and he took in one big shacky breath, and exhaled in a few seconds.  
He looked around, drained and tired. Not wanting to move from the spot on the floor, but he knew he would have too at some point. So, he pushed himself up, almost immediately regretted it, his arms hurt and he fell right back down. 

He hissed and lifted his arms so he could see them. They where covered in white scratches. He was stunned, did, did he do that? Was that really him? Well, of course it was him, he had a tendency of accidently hurting himself without his knowledge during his panic attacks. It used to help him get out of his spiral when they first started. But now it seemed that it wasnt helping anymore, and maybe making it worse. 

He couldn’t go to his dad, or his sister for help with panic attacks. He still hasn’t let them know about how he panics, even though it started about 4 years ago. He still was yet to confess to anyone about it. The only person that actually knew was his ex; yue and his darling zuko.

He took another glance at his arms and sighed. He put all the strength in his legs and boosted himself up. Tired as ever he shuffled and dragged himself to his bed.

Flopping onto it and letting himself relax into the soft comforter, he inched under the covers. That’s when he remembered his phone going off during his melt down. With a roll of his eyes, and tired eyes. He reached for his back pocket, reminding him he hasn’t changed out of his jeans. He sat up as he unlocked his phone. His arms still aching. He was probably bandage them up for a little while. Some of the scratches had started bleeding a tiny bit when sokka re-checked his arms. But he wasn’t exactly worried about it at the moment. He knew he had to do something or blood would get on his bed, but he was too exhausted.

Upon opening his phone he scrolled down, to see the notifs. There was a few Instagram notifications but nothing really, he was about to put his phone away when he spotted a missed call. From,,, zuko? Something didn’t feel right about that. He felt his stomach churn as two more notifications popped up.

Two messages from zuko. Sokka clicked on them as fast as he could. The screen took a while, but when it loaded his stomach dropped.

From, zuko <3  
red 8:23PM

From, zuko <3  
please when you can plase pick me up 8:26

Sokka quickly wrote out his response.

Sokka  
Where are you? What happened baby? seen 8:28

it wasn’t long before sokka got his response. 

From, zuko <3  
tings went badr ielly baa, 8:30

Zukos texts where way off, it was,,, unsettling. He usually always had proper grammar, and spelling. Hell, he probably always proofreads his own texts. These where nothing like how he normally was.  
Seconds later, zuko sent another message. with a message attached saying. “I cint goo bak hame”  
Even though it was almost unreadable sokka got the gist. He quickly got up. Phone in hand. 

That’s when a thought hit him, where would they go? Sokka, definitely could not bring zuko here. He’d already had a bad time coming out. He doubted they would let zuko stay with him. Or even zuko in the house. So he made an impulsive decision.

He walked to his closet. Grabbing the biggest bag he could find, sokka started shoving things into the bag. Mostly essentials like clothes, his hygiene products, a phone charger, he looks at his bed and stuffs in a blanket. He looks around the room smiling at everything. Hes not going to see any of his things for a while. He walked up to his boomerang hanging on the wall. Sokka caressed it, wishing it well while hed be gone. 

Making sure he had a few extra hair ties with him. With that he left the room, bag and phone in hand. Sokka closed the door quietly this time, not to disturb any of the silence. He tipped toed downstairs. Katara and his father talking came into earshot of him as the boy descended the stairs. Not making s single noise as he passed the kitchen where they where they where washing dishes together. 

Like they did every night, bonding over dishes. that’s why katara always picked dishes when chosing thte chore list. She knew she would get to spend time with their dad. Honestly, it kind of hurt sokka. Their dad was, and still is a busy man. Being a lawyer and all. A good one, one that was sought after constantly at that. 

Katara aspired to be just like their dad, and sokka got that. That’s why he let them share as much time as they needed. Even after the death of their mother. Sure, it had impacted sokka, but not nearly as hard as it hit their dad, or katara. He didn’t really remember her as much, but he knew he loved her deeply. 

He was kataras and hakodas support beem through all of it, even though he was just to little to understand it was okay to express how he felt because of it as well. But, no. he had to be strong for the three of them. He never really let it show how much it had affected him.

And to this day. He still has all those feeling bottled up some where inside of him. 

Through all that time katara and dad had been bound by the hip. Best friends, closer than sokka will ever get to be with his dad.  
That just hurt even though he never acknowledged that fact. He pushed those feeling away like he always did and continued his sneaking out attempt.

To be honest Its not that hard, he just needed to make it outside. He walked to the backdoor, opening it silently and slipping out. 

He ran from the back of the house, to the front, his car was parked on the side of the road, next to the sidewalk, he used his key to turn it on and hoped in. He was grateful for times like this where he bought a car that was almost silent.

He had been saving up for a car, when he bought it, it was a little beaten up but it is his pride and joy, besides zuko. He put the key in and started driving. Making sure the heater was on, on this cold winter night.   
He turned on his GPS, and imput zukos location. 

He drove around for a while before finding actually finding him. He slowed to a stop next to him and rolled the window down. “hey buddy comn’ hope in.”

Zuko jumped out of his skin but skittered into the car. He was holding something to his eye, it looked like paper towels, a bunch of them, sokka raised his eyebrow. But the sinking feeling he had went deeper.

“babe? What, what happened?” 

Zuko looked to sokka, and then looked away. “ s-s-sokka?”

“yes babe?”

“promise,,, promise, you wont hate me?” tears weld up in zukos eye that sokka could see. He wanted to hold zuko in his arms. Have him sit in his lap and cuddle him till he stopped crying.   
“babe I promise I could never hate you”  
“o-okay.”

With that zuko removed the paper towels. The sight horrified sokka, tears built up in his eyes again, and his jaw dropped. “zuko,” he said his voice trembling with concern. 

Zuko quickly put back up the paper towel, tears slipping passed his good eye. “I-I know im hideous, I, I can understand if you don’t like me anymore.” 

That statement made sokkas blood boil. “Babe,” he said sternly, “ I could never stop loving you.” 

“Now, come over here.” He gestured for zuko to climb into the drivers’ side. Zuko hesitated then made his way over the center thing between the two. He crawled into sokkas lap, and held ontight.

That’s when he started sobbing into sokkas shirt, letting sokka hold him tight as he could till zuko fell sleep. Leaving sokka awake to ponder what the next step was. 

He pulled his phone out, and put his head down on zukos shoulder and started typing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO YO YO YO THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORTIVE COMMENTS ON MY LAST CHAPTER!!! THEY MOTIVATE ME TO WRITE FASTER AND BETTER!!!

**Author's Note:**

> feel free to bug me on insta, @purplehone.y


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